Handover of a Mobile Terminal in a Multi-Beam Satellite Based on Network Conditions

1. A method for satellite management of a satellite communication system comprising a plurality of satellite beams and providing network access service to a plurality of aircraft, the method comprising: provisionally selecting, for one or more aircraft of the plurality of aircraft, one or more respective candidate satellite beams for providing the network access service to the one or more aircraft; updating, based at least in part on the provisionally selecting, a beam utilization for the one or more respective candidate satellite beams based on an estimated service utilization associated with each aircraft of the plurality of aircraft; determining whether the beam utilization of the one or more respective candidate satellite beams satisfies at least one resource criteria; and scheduling handover of the network access service for the one or more aircraft to the one or more respective candidate satellite beams based on the determination that the beam utilization of the one or more respective candidate satellite beams satisfies the at least one resource criteria.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising: based on a determination that the beam utilization of the one or more respective candidate satellite beams does not satisfy at least one resource criteria: identifying aircraft serviced by the one or more respective candidate satellite beams for which the beam utilization does not satisfy the at least one resource criteria during a service time; determining a beam flexibility for each of the identified aircraft; and reassigning one or more of the identified aircraft to different ones of the one or more respective candidate satellite beams based on the determined beam flexibilities.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the provisionally selecting is based at least in part on one or more default rules.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the provisionally selecting based at least in part on one or more default rules comprises selecting the one or more respective candidate satellite beams according to one or more priority rules.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the one or more priority rules comprise a priority based on a satellite technology, a priority based on a satellite operator, a priority based on link performance, or a combination thereof.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising: retrieving flight plan data for each of the plurality of aircraft being provided the network access service for passengers via the satellite communication system; and identifying, for the plurality of aircraft based at least in part on the flight plan data, candidate satellite beams for providing the network access service over a service timeframe, wherein the one or more respective candidate satellite beams is provisionally selected for providing the network access service during the service timeframe.

7. The method of claim 2, further comprising: creating a ranked list of the identified aircraft based on a beam flexibility metric associated with each of the identified aircraft, wherein reassigning the one or more aircraft to the different ones of the one or more respective candidate satellite beams is further based on the ranked list.

8. An apparatus for satellite management of a satellite communication system comprising a plurality of satellite beams and providing network access service to a plurality of aircraft, comprising: one or more processors; one or more memories coupled with the one or more processors; and instructions stored in the one or more memories; wherein the instructions are executable by the one or more processors to cause the apparatus to: provisionally select, for one or more aircraft of the plurality of aircraft, one or more respective candidate satellite beams for providing the network access service to the one or more aircraft; update, based at least in part on the provisional selection, a beam utilization for the one or more respective candidate satellite beams based on an estimated service utilization associated with each aircraft of the plurality of aircraft; determine whether the beam utilization of the one or more respective candidate satellite beams satisfies at least one resource criteria; and schedule handover of the network access service for the one or more aircraft to the one or more respective candidate satellite beams based on the determination that the beam utilization of the one or more respective candidate satellite beams satisfies the at least one resource criteria.

9. The apparatus of claim 8, wherein the instructions are further executable by the one or more processors to cause the apparatus to: based on a determination that the beam utilization of the one or more respective candidate satellite beams does not satisfy at least one resource criteria: identify aircraft serviced by the one or more respective candidate satellite beams for which the beam utilization does not satisfy the at least one resource criteria during a service time; determine a beam flexibility for each of the identified aircraft; and reassign one or more of the identified aircraft to different ones of the one or more respective candidate satellite beams based on the determined beam flexibilities.

10. The apparatus of claim 8, wherein the provisional selection is based at least in part on one or more default rules.

11. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein the instructions for the provisional selection are further executable by the one or more processors to cause the apparatus to select the one or more respective candidate satellite beams according to one or more priority rules.

12. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the one or more priority rules comprise a priority based on a satellite technology, a priority based on a satellite operator, a priority based on link performance, or a combination thereof.

13. The apparatus of claim 8, wherein the instructions are further executable by the one or more processors to cause the apparatus to: retrieve flight plan data for each of the plurality of aircraft being provided the network access service for passengers via the satellite communication system; and identify, for the plurality of aircraft based at least in part on the flight plan data, candidate satellite beams for providing the network access service over a service timeframe, wherein the one or more respective candidate satellite beams is provisionally selected for providing the network access service during the service timeframe.

14. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein the instructions are further executable by the one or more processors to cause the apparatus to: create a ranked list of the identified aircraft based on a beam flexibility metric associated with each of the identified aircraft, wherein reassigning the one or more aircraft to the different ones of the one or more respective candidate satellite beams is further based on the ranked list.